1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to furniture and, more particularly, relates to structures adapted to provide both simple and complex furniture arrangements having a plurality of selectively positionable furniture items.
2. State of the Prior Art
Modern industrial and commercial business organizations often require allocation of substantial portions of their budgets to the purchase of office furniture equipment. However, office managers and/or purchasing agents responsible for the purchase of such office equipment typically encounter numerous difficulties therewith. Personnel having various occupational classifications often require differing furniture arrangements. However, a particular manufacturer or distributor of office furniture equipment will sometimes manufacture or stock furniture arrangements directed only to certain limited occupations and tasks. For example, one distributor may only sell furniture equipment comprising secretarial personnel desk arrangements and file storage structures. Another distributor may sell only "executive-type" furniture arrangements. Accordingly, the office manager responsible for purchasing all office furniture equipment is required to seek out a plurality of distributors and/or manufacturers, thereby losing the monetary and convenience advantages often achieved when purchasing in bulk from a single distributor or manufacturer.
Even when a single office furniture manufacturer or distributor can provide furniture arrangements for all occupational classifications of personnel, the office manager encounters other difficulties. Typically, most furniture arrangements are substantially "fixed" as to their structure and to the particular tasks for which they are most advantageously utilized. For example, the office manager may purchase a certain number of conference tables and a certain number of secretarial desks. However, due to personnel, building architecture, or other like changes which occur with every industrial or commercial organization from time to time, the previously purchased inventory of furniture arrangements may no longer fit the needs of the organization. Such changes often require additional furniture arrangement purchases and also sale of existing office furniture at substantial losses. Accordingly, negative cash flow occurs although inventory book value does not substantially increase.
Further, in view of the rapid modernization of business functions, lack of adaptability of furniture arrangements may cause difficulties even when no personnel or building arrangement changes occur. For example, with computerized word processing coming into widespread use, a secretary may suddenly require a desk arrangement having a place for a combination cathode-ray tube (CRT), keyboard, and cassette tape system rather than a mere stand for a typewriter. Additionally, with even relatively small organizations now having computerized inventory processing, an executive may require a furniture arrangement having a location for a remote computer terminal without necessitating reduction of work surfaces adapted for other tasks. Numerous other examples exist of furniture arrangement modifications necessitated by computerization of information processing and telecommunications.
An additional problem somewhat related to those previously discussed with respect to fixed furniture arrangements can be viewed in light of objective needs of personnel having equivalent levels of certain occupational classifications. For example, an organization may have a number of executives of equivalent level (e.g., assistant vice-presidents) but with each executive having responsibilities which differ as to their involved tasks. One executive may spend a substantial portion of work time in meetings, while another may have extensive writing duties. Still another may spend an inordinate amount of time on the telephone or performing dictation. Such executives all require "executive-type" furniture arrangements, but it is advantageous to provide each with a furniture arrangement structurally adapted to his or her particular objective needs.
Another problem can exist with fixed furniture arrangements for persons having equivalent levels of certain occupational classifications. Though such persons may also have equivalent duties and, accordingly, equivalent objective needs, modern personnel psychology makes clear that it is advantageous to also provide for a person's subjective needs within a work environment. For example, two executives may each have duties and tasks which are substantially "meeting" intensive. However, one of the executives may desire a long, narrow work surface while the other desires a substantially different furniture arrangement.
Numerous other examples exist of varying furniture arrangements which may be classified as meeting other objective and subjective needs of personnel. One person may need a furniture arrangement whereby he or she can work comfortably at all positions around a desk surface. Other persons may need desk surfaces surrounding them on two or possibly three sides. Still others may need a large amount of file storage.
Several prior art structures provide limited adaptability of use of specific pieces of furniture. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,339, J. W. Neufeld, issued May 30, 1972, discloses a metal desk arrangement having a removable clip on attachment which could be connected to corners of a desk top for secretarial or similar purposes. However, the Neufeld patent is not directed to the problem of providing an integrated furniture system for the "total" work situation of an organization. Similarly, none of the prior art arrangements can be characterized as a complete singular furniture system capable of providing the degree of versatility of structural arrangements and selectively of removable furniture items necessary to meet the differing objective and subjective needs of personnel having the occupational classifications normally found in industrial or commercial business organizations.